She made headlines for perhaps being the first ever paraplegic surfer, albeit duct taped, to the back of another surfer. Sadly, though she later passed away due to health complications, she has left an inspirational story for us all.

It was a bitter pill to swallow for Parisian-born Pascale Honore. After moving to Australia and settling in Elliston, and later Byron Bay in Adelaide, the nature-loving woman was involved in a serious car accident in her late 30s, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.

Pascale describes in the video how hard it was for her initially, but she refused to let her disability define who she was. She said, “After rehab, I started to look at what I’ve got, (rather than) what I haven’t got,” Pascale said, as reported by TIME.

“My aim then was to learn to live a different way, to get out of rehab and back to my kids. I always loved the ocean, and while I never surfed with a board, I did a lot of bodysurfing and swimming. And I always felt at ease in the water, putting my head under and being in a different world.”

Despite bouts of depression, Pascale kept up her love of the outdoors.

“We could just duct tape you onto my back I don’t see why we couldn’t,” said Tyron.

So, after many practice sessions—and despite her sons’ concern over her safety—on a beautiful day, Tyron paddled out on his board with 90 pounds (approx. 41 kg) of fleshy happiness strapped to his back, and together, they hit the drop.

Amazingly, Tyron’s plan worked and Pascale’s dream was realized 18 years after the accident—she was able to experience the surf again.

“That first wave was mind-blowing, I tried to take in the color, the sound, the smell of the ocean,” Pascale said, per The Inertia. “I looked up to this wall of water—I felt part of it. That first wave got me addicted, I just wanted to do it again. It was the ultimate connection, riding the ocean.”

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